The Positive and Negative Political, Social, Economic and Environmental Effects of Fracking - Essay Example

Unit Fracking Fracking refers to the process of drilling deep down into the earth for the purpose of extracting gas. This process is common in countries such as USA. The process is a complex one, and involves the destruction of the soil structure, water and general environment. Additionally, the procedure involves the use of chemicals that are usually injected into the rocks at high pressures. Fracking is common in US due to the energy revolution experienced. Fracking has prompted concerns from many areas of life. For instance, anti-traffickers are arguing over environmental, social and even political concerns. Proponents of fracking, on the other hand, believe that fracking promotes the economy and that the regulations on trafficking are enough to meet the concerns over fracking. This research essay will analyze the positive and negative political, social, economic and environmental effects of fracking. US has unlimited exports of gas especially in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania, which have a number of implications to the economy. The gas producing states have experienced benefits associated with fracking that include lease payments, cheap energy, jobs and royalty checks. The gas industry has showed a revolutionary potential through creation of energy markets globally. There is high rise in demand for the natural gas prices in the international markets following the rising demands on the use of natural gas as an alternative form of energy. Fracking has brought more benefits to the concerned states. In Ohio, the state’s economy has benefited from fracking for many areas in the form of include taxation among other associated benefits. Additionally, fracking has increased the availability of jobs; research shows that Ohio counties jobs are found in fracking major industries and such jobs include pipeline constructions and drilling, which contribute to 15.5% total employment opportunities in the country. Fracking in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Colorado Pennsylvania and Colorado‘s economies have benefitted from fracking. Part of their economy is attributed to gas drilling, which earns the states a lot of revenues necessary for the development of other economic sectors. Unemployment sector has also benefited from the creation of jobs opportunities. Additionally, shale gas opportunities have increased and today, the state of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado has registered the millions of money resulting from the gas drilled from the lands that the citizens lease. Many Americans have leased their lands to the gas extracting industries which in turn earns them more money which has resulted in the rise of the living standards of the citizens. The companies do not get any tax breaks or receive any government intensives yet they register high growth and development in the whole economic sector. Additionally, the job opportunities offered by these industries are stable thus reducing the fears associated with loss of employment. Environmentally, fracking companies, apply modern technologies that cause little harm to the environment. Gas has offered an alternative energy to the coal and other energy sources that produce a lot of pollutants. Adoption of fracking in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado has reduced significant environmental hazards posed by carbon emissions from the energy sources like mercury, arsenic, lead and soot. This is because gas produces less than 50% carbon dioxide compared to coal and other energy sources. Despite the environmental advantages over other energy sources, fracking has enormous environmental challenges that pose a threat to the states and their neighbors. The major environmental challenges faced by Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado as results of fracking occur at the local level. There are many threats posed by fracking; however, the most prone area to these challenges is the environmental. Many concerns have been raised over fracking which cause soil pollution and environmental pollution. Deep caverns that were used in drilling caused an earthquake that was felt in the surface of Youngstown in Ohio State. Apart from the earthquake, other states like Ohio and Pennsylvania have experienced land fragmentation, as a result of the drillings. According to a recent study conducted by USGS, United States experiences a lot of earthquakes especially the serious earthquakes in California and other serious seismic faults that destroys a lot of properties as well as life. The researchers articulated these earthquakes to the high drilling taking place in several states of America such as Colorado, Ohio, and Texas among others. Farmers in Ohio complain of the challenges posed by fracking. They argue that fracking could contaminate the farming soil and water. Many activists have responded to this by calling for moratoria that could possibly help reduce the farmers raise their voices on the environmental challenges posed by fracking. Apart from the soil and land fragmentation, fracking use a lot of water. The wastewater is then channeled into the environment. Research shows that the three countries’ environments have suffered from the chemicals associated with the waste water. These chemicals include alpha particles such as arsenic, toluene and barium, among many pollutants. Ohio farmers argue that their lives are in danger since their survival depends on clean water, soil and air. The presence of the contaminants makes water scarce since most underground water sources are already contaminated. Additionally, the contaminants have destroyed many aquatic animals in the three states. The Pennsylvania experience on water contamination is also evident. Pennsylvanian fracking penetrates several feet underground while the drinking is extracted from depths which are only a few feet. This shows that the fracking compounds are injected into the drinking water. Instances of methane leaking in Pennsylvania have been reported with the trucking and storage accidents caused by spilling brine and other fluids that cause explosions and water pollution. Accidental spills and accidents are common whenever any fracking activity is in place. Despite many measures to prevent such occurrences, reports on spills remain common. For example, in 2007, a house in Ohio exploded after a methane gas accidentally spilled into the water well. The reports on the incident indicated that the explosion was a result of faulty concrete with hydraulic fracturing that pushed the methane gas into the aquifer resulting in an explosion. Many gas gallons of oil and gas have leakage that lead to the escape of the gas into the environment. Such gas hazards in Ohio resulted in the death of a 19 year old man in 2012 after the explosion of the natural gas. The environmental effects of fracking have gone beyond the state to the global environment. Ohio, Pennsylvania and Colorado fracking activities contribute to global challenges as the greenhouse effect that contributes to the global warming. This is majorly caused by the burning of methane gas that is accessed through the extraction of carbon dioxide (Graves 36). Whenever carbon dioxide escapes into the atmosphere, it does not create only environmental problems but also pose the health challenges. America and Europe are currently facing the negative effects resulting from fracking. Europe has put in place measures for banning fracking and the use of hydrocarbons while encouraging the use of coal. This is because Europe has leant about the environmental hazards faced by Pennsylvania as a result of fracking. Air pollution is common in the areas involved in fracking. Other than the carbon dioxide, which is responsible for the greenhouse effect, methane gas, though nontoxic is highly explosive and is regularly released during drilling. When the gases emitted during the process escape into the atmosphere, they react with the atmospheric hydroxyl to produce water vapor that is likely to be toxic (Graves 42). Other chemicals are often in the natural gas. Examples of these chemicals include ethane, hydrogen sulfide, and butane among other hydrocarbons. Additionally, there are many chemicals used during the drilling process that contribute to air pollution. Communities living near these drilling sites suffer from illnesses such as stomachaches, open sores, nose bleeding loss of smell, depression and even loss of sense of smelling. These illnesses are reported in many instances especially in Colorado. A recent article on the Environmental Science in Colorado indicated that the fracking activity in Wattenberg field located in Niobrara Colorado contributes 55% of the volatile compounds, which are unhealthy inhaling as well as for the ground level ozone layer. An environmental analyst in Colorado Dr. Theo Colborn, in his research, realized that there are 44 dangerous pollutants found in Garfield county of Colorado that promoted bad air sometimes experienced in the region. Fracking has contributed enormously in the political sector. Reports indicate that the members of congress received $20.5 million from the fracking industry, which was used for lobbying in June 2011. The report also indicated that $2.8 million was injected by the fracking company into the campaigns held by the state officials, which resulted in the making of the weakest trafficking rules by the elected officials as a way of paying back the fracking industry. Wealthy owners of the gas industries such as billionaire William I. Koch got involved in the campaigns of governor Kasich’s through offering finances. A critical analysis of Kasich’s campaigns indicates that he received personal donations of $127,268 from William Koch and his brother. In Pennsylvania State, majority of the people running the political position are the billionaires behind fracking. The state government also receives donations and funding from the fracking industries, which make them tolerate the existing environmental hazards posed by fracking. In many cases, the laws relating to fracking remain pending in the legislature because the political leaders fear losing the industry’s support should they decide to pass laws that are likely to harm fracking. The power of oil and gas in Pennsylvania is undeniable. Fracking determines the political decisions and dimensions; thus, has a powerful influence on the government. Colorado is another US sate where fracking influence political decisions and activities. Reports indicate that the gas and oil industries spent billions of dollars in influencing the two political parties for the last 10 years. It was estimated that around $800,000 was spent by the fracking industry to help the elected Colorado democratic and republican candidates. This explains the protection that the fracking companies receive from the government despite the many protests from environmentalists and the citizens (Graves 45). The three major gas industries in Colorado, which include Ecana, Anadarko and Noble Energy, spent over $300, 000 billion on the Colorado General Assembly within the first quarter of the year. Regulations that govern fracking are found in all states dealing with gas drilling. Many states have become active in passing regulatory or even banning laws. Legal actions are laid down to control all fracking activities. These laws may be passed as ordinances. The Pennsylvanian legislature, for example, amended the Gas and Oil Act that aimed at severely restricting fracking. The ordinances passed restricted the drilling in residential areas or districts to protect the welfare of the residents. The ordinances also laid down the drilling procedures, as well as the drilling considerations such as pre drilling, bond drilling among other procedures. Act 13 of the Pennsylvanian law provides for these procedures and restrictions. Colorado lacks established rules. This situation makes it experience operational conflicts within its organs. Laws restricting mining wells in terms of their distance from the human settlement were laid down. Ordinance provisions provide for underground mining and drillings. The Colorado Supreme Court established a rule that allow municipals to ban gas and oil drilling at the interest of the state. Additionally, the Local Affairs department prepared a guide on oil and gas drilling used by the local governments in setting laws pertaining drilling. However, the Colorado state has not advanced much on the law and ordinances, which explains why the state leads in the fracking activities. Ohio State has passed many ordinances that regulate fracking. For example, The Supreme Court upholds that municipal authority should restrict or prohibit gas or oil drilling. In 1992, an ordinance that aimed at banning fracking was passed. However, this was later amended to include banning of oil and gas drilling only in and around the residential areas. In November 2012, the Ohio citizens voted for the community bill of rights; thus, approving the banning of hydraulic fracturing in the cities. This amendment also laid down the new charges pertaining fee charges and taxation. The bill, however, has been amended to include other provisions such medical rule among others. Other laws and regulations on drilling are in place. In 2004, the General Assembly of Ohio gave the Ohio state sole authority to control the permission and the access of oil and gas drilling sites as well as to control spacing of oil and gas wells. Ohio Gas Rules were revised in 2010. The regulations laid down in section 1509.04(A), provided for environmental protection by setting the penalties. The House Bill 278 enacted in 2004 provided the Natural Resource Agency power to regulate gas wells and oil springs; thus, stripping the local government the authority to control drilling. Despite all the amendments on regulation and control of fracking, the Ohio state does not have adequate regulations; thus, calls for proper amendment of the fracking laws. Many ongoing bills proposed by different individuals and groups are likely to provide the required regulations in Ohio. Regulations concerning the modernization of the injection wells, chemical and responsibility awareness, environmental protection among other regulations are paramount for Ohio fracking to be in control. Conclusively, oil and gas drilling has gained prominence within the United States. Research indicates that gas and oil are mixed blessings to the states that are involved in fracking. This is because fracking has both positive and negative effects on the economic, environment and political life of the state. In order to counter the effects of fracking, many states have come up with regulations to control drilling. Work Cited Graves, John H. Fracking: Americas Alternative Energy Revolution. 2012. Print - Read More